From Tradition to Contextualization: Worship Music in the Cantonese Congregation of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church

This thesis explores how the worship music in the Cantonese Congregation of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church (RHCCC), the largest Protestant Chinese Church in North America, evolved from a traditional approach to one of increasing contextualization over the past thirty-three years (1985-2018). This contextualization of worship music entailed not only changes in style, but also significant socio-cultural transformation, renewed theological vision, and increased levels of congregational participation. To analyze this paradigm shift in music, the study explores the historical development of the church, analyzes the characteristics of various styles of worship music, and explores related socio-cultural and theological influences during this period.Master of Theology (ThM